Spurs set franchise record with 18th straight win

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Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - The NBA's conference leaders
coming into the day couldn't be headed more in opposite directions.

Tony Parker scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs won a franchise-record
18th straight game following a 103-77 rout over the reeling Indiana Pacers on
Monday night.

"We've never set any numerical goals. We've never set goals to win a division
or X number of games in a row or anything like that. We just talk about trying
to be the best team we can be come playoff time," Spurs head coach Gregg
Popovich said.

The Spurs, who won 17 in a row from Feb. 29-March 31, 1996, are 3 1/2 games
ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the West's top mark.

Kawhi Leonard tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Boris Diaw netted 14
points off the bench in the triumph.

Indiana lost its grip atop the Eastern Conference standings following its
sixth defeat in its last eight tilts. The Miami Heat, who beat the Toronto
Raptors on Monday, are percentage points ahead of them for the No. 1 spot.

Lance Stephenson had 15 points to lead the Pacers, who haven't shot more than
40 percent from the floor in six games.

"Their togetherness really showed, that's where they beat us," Pacers All-Star
forward Paul George said. "That was a team that's all together playing as one,
the team that we were to start the year."

The Pacers trailed by double digits for a majority of the contest, but a
Rasual Butler triple pulled them within 69-62 early in the fourth.

San Antonio, though, later used a 12-4 run to extend the margin comfortably
back into double figures. Leonard's dunk capped the surge and staked the Spurs
to an 85-69 advantage midway through the frame.

They cruised to the easy win from there.

Earlier, the Spurs raced out to a 13-5 start and led 25-15 after a period of
play. They held a double-digit cushion throughout the second quarter and took
a 48-35 lead into the break.